Accurately and quickly center fitting a tube or rod of another inserting tube (an adapting tube) has been a constant challenge for users in a variety of fields. A conventional way to accomplish this is to thread both the adapter and the adapting tube together to ensure the strength and centering of the fitting. However, this method requires time consuming threading action during loading and unloading process. In addition, different thread specifications for the adapter and the adapting tube from different manufactures give rise to compatibility problems.
The focuser draw tube of a telescope also have this problem. For example, the slop between an adapting laser collimator and the focuser draw tube exists in all telescope focusers due to manufacturing tolerances on the inside diameter of the focuser tube and the tolerances on the outside diameter of the adapting tube, namely laser collimator and eyepiece. In fact, just tightening with a conventional “set screw” on the telescope focuser can often offsets the inserted laser collimator from its intended optical center axis which renders the inserted device inaccurate. Other methods like uniform compression ring on the telescope focuser draw tube clamps the inserted eyepiece or laser collimator off centered with two linear clamping points causing the inserted laser collimator to pivot and results in inaccurate collimation. In short, any small mis-alignment of installed laser collimator in the focuser draw tube substantially affected accuracy in aligning optical components of a telescope.
Therefore, there is a need for a quick and easy clamping mechanism, which securely and accurately attaches to an adapting tube.